Page 6 of The Beachside Cafe 4
They’d reached Cameron’s jeep and turned to face each other to talk. Cameron had parked next to Jaymee’s car so she wouldn’t have far to walk. She looked up at him, noting how handsome he looked, a bright blue sky behind him, the sun shining on his face, making him squint.
He leaned sideways on the Jeep, resting his arm on the sill of the open driver’s side window. “The councilman has an open and easily accessible schedule, for one. He’s way too much in the limelight to have time to sneak off and do things like take Doug or string Russo up in that warehouse.”
Jaymee shivered, remembering when they’d found Carmine hanging by his neck in an abandoned warehouse. “Well, I suppose that’s true. But he could have hired someone to do it.”
Cameron looked skeptical. “Maybe. But I don’t really think he’s into that. I mean, he was surely aware that Doug was the one blackmailing him and probably hated it but… he isn’t a violent man and wouldn’t turn to something like that. Let me put it this way. The only thing on Brian O’Rourke’s mind is amassing as much of a fortune as he can. His mind isonlyon money.”
Jaymee nodded. She could tell that was true.
“So why wouldn’t he be responsible for Doug disappearing then? Wouldn’t he want the blackmail to stop so he wouldn’t have to give him money?”
“He’s more the kind of man that would respect Doug’s initiative when it came to making it. It wouldn’t surprise me in the least – and I’m betting there is some involved – if O’Rourke has his own blackmail schemes going on. Think about it. When he sends money to these special interest groups, it’s for a reason. He’s not doing it out of the kindness of his heart. I’ve read about some of the groups he gives money to, and he’s not being a morally superior person, I’ll tell you that.”
Jaymee nodded again. “Of course not. Look at IDL. That company is evil. If what we think they’re doing – experimenting on innocent humans – is really what’s going on.”
“There’s a lot of evil stuff going on, Jay.”
“Well, I don’t want to think about all that other stuff. I can’t fill my mind with that. I have to concentrate on figuring out what happened with Doug and bringing the guilty to justice.”
“Spoken like a true modern-day superhero,” Cameron said affectionately, smiling at her. His words sent a tingle of pleasure through Jaymee’s body and she suddenly giggled. It was completely the opposite of the emotion she’d been feeling only moments ago and she breathed a sigh of relief.
“So what are we going to do with these cars?” she asked.
Cameron raised his eyebrows. “What are you talking about?” he asked.
She gestured over her shoulder with her thumb. “I’ve got my car here and you’ve got your Jeep.”
He blinked at her.
“I mean…” Jaymee blushed. “I guess I assumed we were going to stay together and go somewhere and we have both cars and one of them will have to be left behind unless we take separate cars, which is fine, of course, I was just thinking-”
Jaymee rambling was cut off when Cameron let out a delighted laugh. “Oh! Duh. I’m sorry, I should have figured what you were thinking. I guess we need to make a plan. I don’t have a meeting or appointment till later this afternoon. Have you eaten? Are you hungry?”
Jaymee shook her head. “Not particularly famished. Have you eaten?”
Cameron looked up at the sky, a contemplative look on his face. “Hmm. I guess I could. But if you aren’t hungry, that’s fine.”
“I should probably go back to the café and check on things. Come out there and if you realize you’re hungry, get something there.”
“That’s a good idea,” Cameron nodded. “I guess that’s the way it’s gonna be with us now, huh? Two people just getting through life trying to figure out what’s next for dinner?”
Jaymee burst out laughing. “I suppose so!” she said through it. He turned to unlock his Jeep and pulled his door open while she went around her car. “I’ll see you there, Cam.”
“See you there, Jay.”
Jaymee slid into the driver’s seat and closed the door. When she reached back to pull the seatbelt across her chest, she saw him waving from his Jeep as he backed out of the spot. She waved back with a smile, her heart warming over.
It had been too long since she’d felt that feeling. Married for 22 years and she’d forgotten what it felt like to be looked at that way, with desire and affection and – dare she think it - love. Sometimes her skin tingled just to have his touch. She just wanted a hug from him. To remind her what it felt like.
Doug had stopped touching her with affection many years ago. She was beginning to think he never really had. He’d been somewhat of a cold man, more business than pleasure any day of the week.
After three months of him being gone from her life, she’d done more reflection than ever before. It was hard for her to figure out what had attracted her to Doug in the first place. They hadn’t been wealthy when they started out. They’d always been comfortable though.
Comfortable.
That word kept going through her mind. That’s why she’d stayed with a cold fish for so many years. She’d gottencomfortable.Complacent. She’d been willing to live her life that way and waste it away just so she wouldn’t have to go through the complications of change.
That change had been forced on her and now she was better off for it.
